Ashes of the Martyr brings metal to the forefront at tonight’s showcase

*Story by Julie Chang
From humble karaoke beginnings rose a powerful voice that is ready to take the main stage in the mixing pot that is Southeast Texas music.

Jarrod Talbot, a 28-year-old Mid-County native and lead singer of metal band Ashes of a Martyr, got his start singing karaoke at various Port Arthur venues, including the now defunct Bottle Shop and the old Handlebar, which is now Dylan’s on Ninth Avenue.

“It was something that me and all my friends had a good time doing,” Talbot said of performing karaoke. “Honestly, I’ve played in front of thousands of people and I don’t get nervous. But if I get up there to karaoke, I get nervous.”

That could have something to do with the fact that now when he sings in front of a crowd, he’s backed up by a four-piece metal band and screams into a microphone.

Ashes of a Martyr will perform in a metal showcase, dubbed Metal Resurrection, on tonight at The Gig with special guests Neil to Aldrin and Eviscerate the Proleteriat.

Prior to creating Ashes of a Martyr, Talbot was in another metal group called Pratice for about five years. He said the lineup is essentially the same, but the band was looking for a fresh start with the new name.

“To people who don’t know us personally, we look like a new band. But we’re far from a new band,” he said.

As Ashes of a Martyr, a band that Talbot describes as a “positive message metal band,” they have taken to the road and are playing shows in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.

Talbot said they’re hoping to help expand the scene here with more shows.

“There is a metal scene as far as fans and the bands around here,” he said. “They are quality musicians and there’s no trouble choosing bands, but the problem is that there is nowhere for us to play.”

Talbot has heard all the excuses from “metal won’t pull in a crowd” to “it’s too loud and abrasive” to “it will upset our current customer base.”

“It kind of bites and it’s the reason why we go to Houston to play a lot,” he said.

But making the move from Mid-County to Houston isn’t possible, he said.

The band, which has members that range in age from 22 to 43, all have jobs and family here. They’re sort of the average plant-working dads, he said.

“We pack the house when we play here, but we just don’t get to play here,” he said.

So how do you convince venue owners to support metal on a regular basis?

Prove you can get the crowds.

For The Gig showcase, Talbot said he was given license to organize the lineup.

“I put the whole show together and made sure it was strict metal bands,” he said. “I didn’t want people to come out and see a classic rock group and then listen to us scream and freak out on stage and then run off. That defeats the purpose.”

Talbot wants all the metal-heads, closeted or not, to make it out to The Gig tonight.

“We put on a show that will blow anyone out here away and it’s not just our genre, but anyone,” he said.

“Our stage and interaction with the crowd is impeccable. Even if you don’t like metal, come see us one time and we will impress you.”

Those are mighty big promises from a guy who started out singing karaoke.

“We keep on seeing a growth in our fan base at every show and that means something,” he said.

Metal Resurrection featuring Ashes of a Martyr with Neil to Aldrin and Eviscerate the ProletariatWhen: Friday, doors open at 8 p.m.Where: The Gig, Crockett Street, BeaumontCost: $7 for 21 and up (could be $5 more for 18-21)